Abstarct This article is an attempt to provide an on‐going commentary on issues relating to the sociology of education which were raised in the special edition of Educational Review, June, 1973 entitled ‘Sociology and Teaching’. In this special edition the usefulness of new movements within the sociology of education in terms of their application to teacher education is well established. Dale, for example, in his paper ‘Phenomenological Perspectives and the Sociology of the School’ points to the exciting prospects of using phenomenology, that is to say exploration of the actor's subjective understanding of the social world, as a way of holding fast ‘insiders’ views and assumptions concerning the business of education for critical evaluation. On the other hand, Shipman, isolating certain weaknesses of some of the ‘New Directions’ in the sociology of education, demonstrates the dangers for any sociological analysis of education which, in concentrating upon exposing ‘taken for granted’ assumptions of educational practitioners, neglects making a consideration of the influence of wider social constraints upon those practitioners. Meighan, in his introduction to this volume, calls for a continuing reappraisal of the advisability of adherence to any specific sociological forms in an examination of educational processes. It seems true to state that such a reappraisal is now due, particularly in the light of developments which have taken place in education and the sociology of education since 1973, and we offer this paper as a contribution to such an endeavour.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Barton et al. (1978) studied this question.